1 year/$1M (2015). Re-signed by San Diego as a free agent 1/7/15. Performance bonuses: $0.5M for 5 games started. $1M for 10 GS. $0.5M for 15 GS. $1M for 20 GS. $0.25M for each start from 21 to 33.

1 year/$8M (2014). Signed by San Diego as a free agent 11/19/13. Performance bonus: $1.25M for 26 games started. Club receives $4M option for 2015 if Johnson starts fewer than seven games in 2014. San Diego declined 2015 option 10/30/14.

BP Chats

How do you value Josh Johnson for 2012? I could potentially get him in a lifetime keeper league for something like Logan Morrison or Justin Smoak. I generally prefer hitters to pitchers, and Josh Johnson is a pretty good example of why. Is this a risk I should consider? My team is a contender and I need to add pitching (that will be the focus of my draft) as I tend to keep many more hitters than pitchers.(Jake from Kalamazoo)

He's elite when healthy, but the shoulder injury is obviously worrisome. Still, for the price of Justin Smoak, I think my trigger finger gets too itchy and I make the deal. (Derek Carty)

How do Matt Kemp and Dread Pirate compare RoS? I got some interesting trade offers include McCutchen + an injured Josh Johnson or Beckett for Kemp?
(Dylan B from Boston,MA)

Well, they compare pretty closely in actual baseball, but in fantasy (which--disclaimer--I haven't played in some time now), Kemp is easily the superior player. I don't think I'd give up an awful lot for Josh Johnson right now. (Ben Lindbergh)

Does sound like very good news on Josh Johnson, presume the Marlins shut him down for the season if no progress by August?(KevinReynolds24 from Minnesota)

If he's made no progress by then, would seem like a fairly safe bet. I can give you more details when Corey Dawkins and I combine to form Voltron and then sit down to write Collateral Damage. (Ben Lindbergh)

Good morning hombre- I'm a big Marlins fan. What would you do in the offseason to put this team into the playoffs? I miss the glory days of 2003 and watching them play this year has been killer. I'm dying for another shot at a ring. Any thoughts to help appease my pain? (Angel Batista from Miami, Florida)

I'm bullish on the Marlins, Detective Batista. Anibal Sanchez has taken a big step forward. Clay Hensley and Leo Nunez have been great out of the bullpen. Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco are great. They'll have a healthy Coghlan back. There is a lot to like. Starting Wes Helms more than once a year isn't really that wise, and it's time to give up on the Andrew Miller experiment, but there is no reason they couldn't go 87-75 next season and try to sneak into a playoff spot. (Eric Seidman)

There's a lot to be excited about with this year's rookie class (Posey, Heyward, Santana, Stanton) but I'm in no rush to appoint them the best class of the past five years until I see much more. (Jay Jaffe)

Where does Jon Lester fit into the discussion of being one of baseballs finest hurlers....?(caseyj15 from Medford, Oregon)

He might be a top five guy. Taking more than just half a season into account I'd put Halladay, Lincecum, and Lee above him, and maybe Josh Johnson as well, but there aren't a whole lot of others who definitively belong above him. (Jay Jaffe)

That sounds like a tall task. Wouldn't being just as good be plenty? None of his numbers seem out of line at first glance, so I don't expect much regression in either direction as long as he's healthy. (Marc Normandin)

Isn't the Verducci Rule just a lazy way of saying that young pitchers get hurt or regress? Obviously guys who are good enough to get big innings at a young age have a good chance of regressing the next year. And injury is a risk for any young arm, no matter the innings. The more that phase catches on the more it bugs me. It has no meaning. And it seems the results bear that out.
That said... does Josh Johnson hold up in 2010? (Drew from GA)

No. It says that there's a very defined level of workload increase that a pitcher can handle when they are young. If I wanted to help you, Drew, bench press 300 pounds so that the bullies will quit kicking sand in your face, I'm not going to start you off with 300 pounds on the bar. We'd start low - you're a manly looking guy, Drew, so why not 150? We'll work our way up and in no time at all, you'll be at 180. Give it enough time and effort and you'll get to 300. That's how progressive restistance works, people, and NO ONE argues it. Why is pitching any different?

should boston give up bucholz and kelly to get Josh Johnson? What if Boston could empty their system to get both JJ and Hanley?(stewbies from rochester)

That second part is so tempting. I kind of want to call the people I know in the Sox front office and just start badgering them until they agree to consider it, even if they are just trying to shut me up so they can get off the phone and go back to reality. (Marc Normandin)

How did Josh Johnson get this good? How do you like his chances of keeping it up? (Drew from Ohio)

I absolutely like his chances; he was going to be good *before* he ever got hurt, and the fact that he's managed to recapture that possible future is an outstanding commentary on his gifts as well as those of his surgeon and the organization's trainers. (Christina Kahrl)

I love Josh Johnson, and his stuff has been just filthy so far. He's inducing a ton of grounders, striking out plenty of hitters, and has his velocity up from last year. I don't expect him to keep that absurd walk rate, but as long as Johnson's healthy, he's capable of being awesome. (Marc Normandin)

If they can keep the rotation healthy for once, this is a team that can do some serious damage. Ricky Nolasco is true ace material, and Josh Johnson's pretty damn good himself. If Anibal Sanchez can at least settle in as a #3, the rotation will be an improvement on this year's mess, one that started with Mark Hendrickson involved. Hanley Ramirez improved on his defense, making him even more valuable, and is one of the top players in the game--possibly #2 in overall production next to the peerless Albert Pujols. I like them more for 2009 than I did for 2008, given the problems and injuries in their rotation. That's the key to the whole team. as their lineup is good enough to be carried by a great set of starters. (Marc Normandin)

Garza, Scherzer or Josh Johnson as my 10th and final keeper in a 6x6 dynasty league? (Dan from NYC)

I really, really like Garza, and you know he'll have a spot in the rotation in front of a quality defense. Scherzer was great in his limited duty this year, but for a keeper...tough to justify that over another young guy who is also capable of some great things. (Marc Normandin)

I know there have been instances of players suing their former teams over supposed mishandling of their injuries, but (hypothetically), if Josh Johnson never throws another pitch, could he sue the Marlins and/or Joe Girardi for negligence for sending him back out to pitch after a 1-hour rain delay given his young and fragile arm?(dianagramr from NYC)

It's never been tested at the pro level on that specifically. There have been some pointed malpractice cases (most recently Greg Harris) but nothing that specific. We have seen some at the HS level. (Will Carroll)

I am an unfortunate owner of Matt Capps (and Eric Gagne-ouch). I was lucky enough to pick up Damaso Marte before the rest of the vultures in my league plucked him up. Is he the front runner to get the nod in Capps' absence? Also, what can we expect from Josh Johnson in the second half of the year?(Brent from Scottsdale)

I'd expect nothing from Johnson - even when a pitcher comes back from TJS, there's usually a lag in his command, and that's especially true when a guy comes back earlier than expected. If you have ample room on your reserve, sure, roster him, but don't activate him until he gets a few starts in to see what's going to happen.

Marte - yes, frontrunner, but don't be surprised if there's some sort of committee at work with Yates, because Marte is a lefty. (Jeff Erickson)

What kind of odds do you put on Girardi breaking at least one of the Hughes/Chamberlain/Kennedy trio?(SC from Philly)

I think it's an unfair question to some extent, because for however much people point to the Josh Johnson rain-delay incident, the very nature of pitching demands that you allow for a certain number of casualties. It isn't like we're talking about Billy Martin-level usage patterns. I think the sheer odds of one of the three getting hurt are no different with Girardi skippering the club than they would be if Joe Torre was calling the shots, or most of the current crop of managers, for that matter. (Christina Kahrl)

How much VORM (value over replacement manager)will Girardi provide vs. Torre?(pondertex from NYC)

Don't give Jon Heyman any ideas for new acronyms. Girardi's impact has yet to be seen. Joe Torre could be frustrating in his habits, especially with the bullpen and his devotion to failing veterans, but at least he didn't bunt himself to death or lead off with Tony Womack... Wait, he did. Well, only for a little while. I want to see how Girardi is in this regard. Also, I still haven't gotten over the Josh Johnson thing and his lack of explanation thereof. Girardi is obviously intelligent, but that's such a serious error of judgment as to possibly disqualify him from future employment. (Steven Goldman)

PITCHf/x Pitcher Profile

Although he has not thrown an MLB pitch in 2015, Josh Johnson threw 13,562 pitches that were tracked by the PITCHf/x system between 2007 and 2014, including pitches thrown in the MLB Regular Season, the MLB Postseason and Spring Training. In 2014, he relied primarily on his Fourseam Fastball (93mph) and Slider (86mph), also mixing in a Sinker (91mph) and Change (86mph). He also rarely threw a Curve (77mph).